14 couples to renew their vows at Carlisle church for Valentine's Day

This flock of love birds - including three couples from the same family - will today renew their vows, proving that true love does stand the test of time.

Among them are Maurice and Mary McIntosh, who tied the knot at St John's The Evangelist Church, in London Road, in October, 1961.

In the September of that year Maurice's brother Gerald married his wife Barbara there - and about a decade later a third brother, Keith, wed his sweetheart Hazel.

Gerald and Barbara's daughter Jane is also returning to the church she married in for the service.

Mary and Maurice, who live at Scotby, came to know one another through the church youth group.

She was a Girl Guide and he was the captain of the Boys' Brigade.

When Maurice came out of his National Service with the RAF in 1958, the the pair got together, finding out that, coincidentally, they had both enrolled to train as nurses.

"That's where the courtship developed," said Maurice. "And we were married when we completed our training."

They were wed by the late Reverend Fred Pickering on a bright autumn day following a week of stormy weather. They honeymooned in Keswick.

They're looking forward to the service to renew their vows and are pleased to be doing it alongside family.

"St John's has always been special for us. From time to time we come here to worship, " said Mary, a former practice nurse at St Paul's Medical Centre in the city centre.

"It will be just lovely meeting everybody again. Some we have seen in the 56 years but it will be good to meet in this setting and in these circumstances."

John, who became a lay reader at Scotby's All Saints Church after he retired as senior tutor of nurse training at the city's Cumberland Infirmary, said: "We've got to be grateful for the fellowship we've enjoyed at St John's.

"It put us on the life track and we've enjoyed a very good marriage."

Looking back at their marriage and how it started out, the couple recalled how different it was back then, how after the marriage and the wedding breakfast everyone went home.

Now, 56 years on, they say every marriage has its high and low points but working through the lows is part of the commitment.

"Like everyone else would say, you do need a sense of humour and all sort of things do help things go smoothly," said Mary.

"It's perseverance," said John.

"But I think young people need to look at people like ourselves who've had a long marriage and why have we had a long marriage.

"It's all a question of love and you've got to cope with the ups and downs and not give in.

"Marriage sealed through the church is excellent."

Mary added: "It was just so important we had that to start off our married life."

The couples have been asked to bring their wedding photographs to the service, which will feature a talk about Christian marriage and hymns from some of the weddings.

It will be followed by a lunch for all those attending.

Their weddings are among 441 which have been held at the church since 1955.

Despite a drop in the number of couples opting for a church wedding, Reverend Steve Donald said it has a lot to offer.

"I think there's a big debate about what marriage is," he said.

"We live in very uncertain, turbulant times.

"This is a rock and these people who are coming back have obviously sustained their marriages.

"There's a little saying: 'Christian marriages are made in heaven but they need lots of maintenance on earth'.

"Coming along to church and being part of a Christian family, this is what has helped these couples to keep going and loving each other."

The celebration of marriage is one of a string of events in the Back to the Future 2017 programme, to mark 150 years of the church, which dates by to 1867.

It also includes a garden party, family ceilidh and harvest celebration.

"It's all about celebrating 150 years and giving us an impetus for the future," said Rev Donald.

The celebration of marriage service starts at 10.30am.